Say it ain't so! Miami Hurricanes athletic director Dan Radakovich is stepping down in a few weeks. Radakovich has been in charge of Miami athletics since 2021, a place where he got his MBA from back in the mid-1980s. Radakovich had been the athletic director previously at Clemson, Georgia Tech, and American, as well as a five-year tenure as LSU's former senior associate athletic director.
While Radakovich plans to step away, the wording of this message sounds like it was not his choice.
"Last week, the university announced that I will be retiring as Vice President and Director of Athletics effective June 1. I depart with a deep sense of gratitude for the campus leaders that hired me, the staff that worked so tirelessly beside me, and our student-athletes who represented this institution with character and class as they pursued their athletics and academic dreams."
There is some debate on social media that Radakovich is being forced out of his role leading Miami.
Initial reports said UM forced Radakovich to retire.
— Timothy Johnson (@MiamiCanes1971) May 4, 2026
He claimed it was his decision.
Today, instead of saying “I will be retiring,” he stated it as: “Last week, the university announced that I will be retiring.”
His word choice here says it all—UM forced this man out 💯 pic.twitter.com/cs8ollaQM2
Radakovich is the one who hired Mario Cristobal to lead the football program and Jai Lucas the men's basketball team. Everywhere Radakovich has worked, he has ushered in a winning culture. He hired Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech, and saw Dabo Swinney win College Football Playoffs during his best days at Clemson. That being said, whenever Radakovich leaves, the department takes a step back...
Is this really what Miami wants to sign up for in moving on from one of their own at the helm of sports?
Dan Radakovich leaving Miami may not be in the Hurricanes' best interest
Radakovich may be in his mid-to-late 60s, but why would he want to leave this post at his alma mater when everything is coming up aces for the Hurricanes? Miami just played for a national championship on the college football gridiron as a No. 10 seed. If not for Indiana, Miami would have won its first national title in football since 2001. As for men's hoops, Lucas has Miami on the verge of greatness.
Truth be told, there may be some other complexities at play here. Radakovich may not want to dive even further into the wonderful world of NIL. It is a young man's game, and maybe he just does not have it any more? Regardless, Radakovich leaves behind an incredible legacy as one of the greatest athletic directors in ACC history. Fans of Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech all know that to be true.
Ultimately, this handoff is starting to feel as clunky as did the Manny Diaz termination. It was a tough call for Radakovich to make in moving on from the Hurricanes' former head football coach. He was decent in Coral Gables. Diaz found success as Penn State's defensive coordinator, all before winning an ACC championship at Duke. If his alma mater of Florida State opens up, he is the first name to call.
This may get swept under the rug, but Radakovich deserved better than possibly being forced out.
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